A long time ago, back in 1993 . . . Kurt Cobain wrote on a stone tablet . . . or recorded on analogue tape . . . . One day Kurt and his band were going to record a new album and call it “Verse Chorus Verse.” This, of course, was poking fun of the lyrical formula they’d boxed themselves into. Kurt vented to Michael Stipe that he wanted to do something very different but didn’t believe the fans would accept it. Ironically, David Bowie had the same dilemma in the late ’80’s. Reeves Gabrels told him if you don’t like it, just don’t do it. Thus, Tin Machine was born! I wish Kurt Cobain had lived to take this advice to heart.

It gets boring when bands do Verse, Chorus, Verse and “moon, June” rhymes. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but it’s not good to have steady diet of it. I was looking at the lyrics of the Church’s album, “Seance” and marveled at how much Steve Kilbey could play with expectations. For example, he’d repeat the chorus with one line changed every time. Or one verse would be longer than the others and the music would be slightly altered to accommodate it. It messes with the sing-songy expectations. It’s fun and exciting but many still cling to the same boring tradition. Not everyone can get away with writing lyrics like Lou Reed but why not try? It bring fresh air to a stale album.

Another example of messing with expectations would be “Between Clark and Hilldale” by Love. Arthur Lee would set it up so the last word of the verse would the first word of the next (no chorus, by the way). It’s a very clever and fascinating idea. It amazes me how scared musicians can be to challenge their listeners. How else can you open different avenues for the music to grow?

Electric Lash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9IRwVyQAc0

Anaesthesiahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfcFGKhLO6o

Between Clark and Hilldalehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3UIj0gUxtc